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He swung his rope through the air one last time. The cord shimmered, releasing a blade of pure energy that literally cut the kitten's body in two. The ground beneath them collapsed, plunging everything into a chasm of shadow and dust.
Miguel landed on an unstable surface, half-gasping. Around him, the creature's remains scattered in black fluids that slowly evaporated. The house had almost completely collapsed.
In the chaos, Miguel raised a bloodied finger and exhaled softly. "You were a very stubborn beast."
He emerged from the rubble with a loud crash of falling stones. The wind swept dust into a dark whirlwind. He looked up.
A scarlet veil tinged with black covered the sky.
Miguel gave a bitter smile, wiping the blood from his chin with the back of his hand.
"That damn kid… you've done something truly terrifying."
He began walking toward the blurred silhouettes of a residential district in the distance.
"A real threat to the boss," he murmured. "I absolutely need to get hold of his little sister and his mother."
As he moved, Miguel's instincts took over. He stopped abruptly. Without hesitation, he raised his Black Rope before him, weaving it into a defensive shield.
It was useless.
With lightning speed, spears of flesh shot from the shadows. They pierced the rope as if it didn't exist, tearing through his defense and striking Miguel full force. He felt his body convulse under the projectiles, the spears penetrating his shoulders, abdomen, and legs. He choked, spitting a mixture of blood and saliva.
Impaled, he could only watch helplessly as a silhouette emerged.
It appeared slowly, rising from the debris like a nightmarish vision.
A feline humanoid. Its elegant form twisted between animal and human, its body bristling with pure white fur.
It advanced with slow steps, claws scraping the ground with a grating sound. When it spoke, its voice was a soft yet commanding whisper.
"Thank you… for this fight. Truly. Since my creation, I have always felt a void… a chasm. But thanks to you, I have gained understanding."
Miguel, despite the searing pain and blood running down his chest, forced a grimace.
"You talk… way too much… for a stray cat."
The humanoid ignored the sarcasm. It crouched before Miguel, gently lifting his bloodied chin with a claw. The feline tilted its head, almost curiously.
"What a shame. I would have liked to know more. Who is your master? Why are you here? Alas, nothing. But it does not affect me. God grants me truth when it is necessary. In truth, your very existence in this stage… was part of His design."
The feline gazed at Miguel with a strange tenderness. Miguel, agonizing, gritted his teeth.
The creature tilted its head slightly in reverence.
"This fight… was a gift from God. For me. To strengthen me."
Miguel felt his breath weakening. A spark of defiance shone in his eyes nonetheless, but his strength abandoned him before he could speak a final word.
And as the humanoid stood tall, a cold certainty washed over Miguel: he had awakened something that should not have been stirred.
The feline humanoid regarded Miguel's battered body.
"It is time I join my mistress," it declared in a deep, gentle voice.
It closed its eyes, then whispered: "Lord, You who have given all, receive this offering in Your light. Grant Your servant the power You demand of me. Through Your judgment I prosper, and through my obedience I serve Your design. So be it."
When its eyes reopened, they burned with an infernal glow. Its mouth widened far beyond what any normal creature could achieve. The feline's jaws dislocated, stretching like a living monstrosity, revealing a cavity lined with sharp teeth dripping black, viscous fluid.
Miguel, impaled, did not even have the strength to scream. His gaze clung to that impossible maw, each moment weighing his heart with despair. He tried to move, to defend himself, but his inert limbs refused to respond.
"No… wait…" he murmured weakly, spitting blood.
But the creature did not wait.
It approached slowly. Its fangs clashed with a chilling sound with every movement, streams of black saliva dripping to the ground, corroding the stone like acid.
In those final seconds, a single thought crossed Miguel's mind: Sorry, boss… we really underestimated her.
The monstrous feline jaws snapped shut on him in a spray of blood. The sickening sound of torn flesh and broken bones echoed like a funeral dirge through the ruins.
Pieces of Miguel were ripped away with unprecedented violence, splattering the floor and walls with red shards. The feline consumed slowly, crushing each fragment.
When it finished, it licked its claws and the floor, gathering every trace of blood, every shard of bone or scrap of flesh it could find. Everything had been consumed.
Silence finally settled. It stood upright, gazing toward the horizon.
"Thank you… for this meal," it murmured in a deep voice.
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The soft purr of a private jet's turbines filled the luxurious cabin, where every detail breathed elegance and restraint.
Yuki was seated in a white leather chair, a cashmere throw carelessly draped over her lap. In her hands, a tablet held her complete attention.
The screen displayed a striking article with grainy photos: "Devastated Neighborhood: All Residents Found Massacred Under Atrocious Circumstances."
A flight attendant appeared, discreet and elegant, holding a silver tray with a glass of amber whiskey. Yuki accepted it with a brief, polite gesture. She brought the glass to her lips, sipping gently, her eyes fixed on the images scrolling across the screen.
"My dear Geto…" she murmured in a velvety yet sharp voice. "You shouldn't have."
She turned off the tablet with a precise tap and placed it on the small table before her. Slowly, she turned her gaze toward the window, scanning the still sky outside.
The sound of a sliding door drew her attention. The pilot entered, dressed in his impeccable uniform.
"Madam Tsukumo, everything is ready for takeoff. Please give us your go-ahead."
She lifted her eyes to him, intense yet calm, and nodded once.
"Proceed."
As the pilot departed, Yuki returned to her contemplation of the world outside, a soft sigh escaping her lips. The world continued to turn, but what she saw from her window were the promises of chaos to come.